lessons were rough this week ...was a dream to be dancing again, but I felt very battle worn and a tad more fragile than I expected...and was utterly exhausted by the second day...that being said...what I so appreciate about this pro is that he is always about "what do we do to make you dance better?"...and he was right back at it in spite of my struggling...I have alot of respect for the man

Continue to be functionally retarded in International Foxtrot, but at least I begin to have some suspicion as to why. Everything else is good except I think either new job is CAUSING a problem, or exacerbating one, causing excruciating pain and pins and needles in my right arm, especially the thumb and wrist. In Standard, this is not a problem usually, as I don't move it much, but can be going along fine in Rhythm and then the wrong move = OW. (Rhythm is what it is. Thank goodness scholarship's a three-dance as I think Mambo in particular at Harvest Moon is going to be...interesting. Someday I'll learn the routine. Right now he just keeps trying things and seeing what happens.)

Good lessons today. Feeling like I'm crawling in smooth, not even walking yet, much less dancing, but teacher assures me I'm moving along pretty quick, all considered. My brain feels like it's nothing but misfires, but the dancing feels nice when I just stop trying to think. Maybe that will come in handy later.

so...didn't realize how much self-pity I have been wallowing in, or how bruised my ego still is...but....pro took some lumber to my hindquarters today and made sure that I got myself going on what needs to be done....and I did not like him at all for the first two hours...pretty much defined the quote; " there will be beatings until the morale improves around here"...but ya know what? he is awesome even when he is annoying... and we worked alot on musicality and shaping and use of my center and legs in very important ways that will make a difference... and I appreciate that even when I seem hopeless, and even if he isn't sure I am going to succeed, he never misses an opporunity to make sure that I have a chance to improve...bengay immanant ...and no, I did not eat dinner

Had a really great private lesson with hubbie last week focussing on hold in tango, much progress seemed to happen. Managed a brief practice at the weekend, still seemed to have stuck but hard to tell cos we were on carpet. Then get to our group lesson last night and it's pretty much all gone. Sorry to moan, but I get so frustrated sometimes - and showing him quite how much would be unhelpful. We've been dancing B&L for 6.5 years together - only weekly group classes mostly, but I feel by now he should have figured out a solid hold. It doesn't help when he says 'I don't want to stand up straight all the time'!

Had an awesome double lesson yesterday with coach...did waltz and foxtrot...both pro and coach were pleased with how it went...had really nice feedback from coach...for me, I was just happy to be dancing and doing something productive...due to injury I haven't been able to do much dancing for the past few months...looking forward to today...hoping to have coach look at tango today, besides pick up with waltz and foxtrot...

interesting lesson going back over the last year of work and tracking the progression. revisited the purpose of each phase of work and cleared up some perceptions that appeared to be conflicts. it's been a good year of work and improvement!

We've been dancing B&L for 6.5 years together - only weekly group classes mostly, but I feel by now he should have figured out a solid hold. It doesn't help when he says 'I don't want to stand up straight all the time'!

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You, or more specifically your DH, needs some private lessons if you haven't been doing that. I've been dancing longer than you have and I'm still working on my bleepety-bleep tango frame. I've finally resigned myself to the fact that I've got to place my right hand lower than the books say in smooth, to avoid my right shoulder tensing up; in tango that means my hand is about as low as it can be and still be suitable for public consumption. But that's what works for me in taking some of the stress and tension out of my frame. A tense frame (as opposed to a firm frame), I've come to realize, is a dance killer.

Again, awesome double lesson with coach yesterday...lots more lowering...longer, deliberate movement...timing of movement...did I mention lowering...and picked up a few recovery tricks...feeling good about where this is going...

Here you cornutt.... I have been working with instructor to take the tension out of my body, and agree is a dance killer.... It is the spots in the routine that I anticipate "this is hard" that my body goes tense, yet that is the exact thing that makes it hard, the lack of flow.... what a circle I get myself in!!

Recently we starting working on styling and shaping in smooth, and especially the idea that my arms are an extension of the expression of my body.... It looks easy enough when I see it done well on other dancers, but darn it is hard, but going well enough to make me super excited!! When it happens right it feels dreamy!!

Next comp I will just be dancing smooth and I am really liking that my lessons are focused on one style.

Here you cornutt.... I have been working with instructor to take the tension out of my body, and agree is a dance killer.... It is the spots in the routine that I anticipate "this is hard" that my body goes tense, yet that is the exact thing that makes it hard, the lack of flow.... what a circle I get myself in!!

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Yeah, until recently I didn't appreciate how difficult I was making it for myself. I've had way too much of a tendency to just muscle myself through anything that was technically difficult for me. (And although I try to avoid throwing my partners around, I know I've done it some.) I have a general tendency to carry tension in my shoulders and upper body. Lately I've been making a point, at work, of making myself relax my upper body now and then.

I'm noticing the past two weeks that my right shoulder is a lot more comfortable if I hold my right hand palm down. However, I suspect that follows don't find that very secure.

well...I managed to rally and not feel sorry for myself for the entire time (only part of the time )...we didn't really look at the things I had been working on so I am not yet certain whether or not I am getting some of that...hoping next week will feel a bit less heavy

New dress works just fine for Standard and we gave it a shot with Smooth (it'll do for now there.) Only one hitch--the zipper, which stuck the second time I tried it on (wouldn't unzip, which was moderately terrifying when I hadn't decided to buy it yet), took twenty minutes to get zipped when I paid it off and had it sent to me, is now jammed open. We couldn't move it, dress on me or off. It's one of those "invisible" zippers, the outer fabric of the dress isn't cut as far down as the zipper goes, and the zip seems to be coming off the track. The dress does stay up just fine without it, so I am putting a strap across the top temporarily and when I see the dressmakers in Ohio, I'll talk to them about it.

I'm definitely under orders to dance up to the dress, though! And in Rhythm...yeah, Mambo's gonna be lead and follow next week. I have no idea how this routine goes. Whee!